ياO أَباfather of الفَضلِal-Fadl لاdo not تَنَمsleep
يا أَبا الفَضلِ لا تَنَم
وَقَعَhas fallen الذِئبُthe wolf فيamong الغَنَمthe sheep
وَقَعَ الذِئبُ في الغَنَم
O Abū al-Faḍl, do not fall asleep—
O Abu al-Fadl, do not sleep.
the wolf has fallen upon the flock.
The wolf has fallen among the sheep.
إِنَّindeed حَمّادَHammad عَجرَدٍAjrad
إِنَّ حَمّادَ عَجرَدٍ
إِنif رَأىhe sees غَفلَةًa lapse in vigilance هَجَمhe attacks
إِن رَأى غَفلَةً هَجَم
For Ḥammād ʿAjrad,
Indeed, Hammad Ajrad,
if he spies a lapse, will pounce.
if he sees a lapse in vigilance, he attacks.
بَينَbetween فَخذَيهِhis two thighs حَربَةٌa spear
بَينَ فَخذَيهِ حَربَةٌ
فيin غِلافٍa sheath مِنَof الأَدَمleather
في غِلافٍ مِنَ الأَدَم
Between his thighs is a spear,
Between his thighs is a spear,
in a sheath of leather.
in a sheath of leather.
إِنif خَلاis empty البَيتُthe house ساعَةًfor an hour
إِن خَلا البَيتُ ساعَةً
مَجمَجَhe scrawls الميمَthe letter mīm بِالقَلَمwith the pen
مَجمَجَ الميمَ بِالقَلَم
If the house stands empty awhile,
If the house is empty for an hour,
he muddles the mīm with his pen.
he scrawls the letter mīm with the pen.
Sol 6.1